Systems and methods for centralized management of vehicle fleets

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises systems and methods useful in the management of vehicle fleets. Preferred embodiments include a software platform for predictive analytics in fleet management, enabling methods of determining the causes of problems in the field, based on aggregated and consolidated shared data from multiple sources, asset management and improved safety and regulatory compliance. Illustrative embodiments are applicable to the management of aerial vehicle fleets such as fleets of unmanned aerial systems. Users of the system may be de-identified and various encryption and security techniques implemented to keep the system secure and access limited to authenticated users. User hierarchies are implemented wherein users within various role-based categories have visibility to different data inputs and outputs. It is an object of the invention to generate reports useful to regulators in continuing to develop improved aviation safety and regulatory compliance while optimizing user experience for fleet managers and other industry participants.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/985,534, filed on Mar. 5, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

The invention described in the present disclosure was conceived and reduced to practice without the benefit of federal funding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention of the present disclosure relates to the field of vehicle fleet and maintenance management, and in certain embodiments relates to a centralized management system for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and the like. It is an object of the invention of the present disclosure to improve the efficiency of scheduling and performing maintenance activities required for UAS and the like, thereby significantly reducing the risk that recommended maintenance intervals lapse and maintenance tasks are performed late or not at all, leading to poor vehicle reliability, safety, and performance issues. In the current state of the art, maintenance activities such as component replacements are largely driven by component serial numbers, which are not necessarily associated with all components required to be maintained or replaced at specified intervals. It is an object of a systems and methods as described herein to develop large repositories of compartmentalized data elements associated with vehicles and vehicle components and associated failure rates that are unique to specific vehicle makes and models without reliance upon serial numbers, which may or may not be associated with every component. It is a further object of the invention of the present disclosure to utilize modern technology to avail to the industry predictive analytics useful in dramatically improving safety and regulatory compliance, and preventing problems in the field before they can occur.

It is another object of the invention of the present disclosure to provide a user interface such as a graphical user interface (GUI) for vehicle fleet managers including but not limited to UAS fleet managers, the user interface comprising a dashboard and multiple access points for the input and output of raw and processed data stored within a database as described herein, as well as synthesis of actionable outputs from multiple data elements generated from automated and human inputs from external and internal sources into various composites of significant utility to the user. A dashboard may include, for example, vehicle status and readiness information, alerts as to vehicle component failures or recalls, vehicle fleet summary information, vehicle operator status and readiness information, and maintenance alerts.

A system as described herein may comprise data inputs by fleet managers and operators, vehicle pilots and the like as well, for example, the logging of UAS flight information and the completion of maintenance tasks. It is an object of the invention to enable a vehicle fleet manager such as a UAS fleet manager to generate reports including but not limited to: vehicle and component reports by manufacturer; UAS flight times by vehicle and operator; vehicle and component issues; vehicle and component configurations; mission and mission readiness reports; maintenance reports; vehicle and component hours in use; flight reports; payload reports; insurance reports; asset management reports; and graphical representations of one or more report attributes, alone or in combination. Certain advantages of the invention, in particular its predictive analytical capabilities, are not readily available within the current state of the art. As such, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the value of systems and methods as described herein.

Existing solutions for vehicle fleet management and operation, such as applied to UAS fleets, comprise a limited suite of services, such as flight logging, mapping of signal strength between control and vehicle, flight range tracking, system warnings, battery monitoring, weather tracking and other basic services desirable in vehicle fleet management, but lack the ability to leverage field data and inputs from suppliers, manufacturers and the like to execute predictive analytics to inform operators of performance issues before a vehicle ever takes flight. Manufacturers, as the term is used herein, includes designers of UAS, whether manufactured under contract or otherwise, while suppliers, as the term is used herein, refers to the suppliers of UAS components to the manufacturers. Current solutions also lack the ability to transform safety, compliance and certification data for more efficient compliance with federal and international aviation regulations and overall improvements in safety across multiple vehicle manufacturers and models. Indeed, many vendors offer services to fleet managers only useful with vehicles made by specific manufacturers, often limited to only a subset of manufacturer models and typically do not include component information. These shortcomings in the marketplace are overcome by the systems and methods of the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system of the present disclosure comprises at least one software module tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and in communication with a database that acts as a central repository for data inputs from manufacturers and suppliers, as well as data inputs from field operators of vehicle fleets. The at least one software module comprises instructions which when executed by an associated processor cause the processor to synthesize from the data inputs actionable data outputs, such as recommendations to maintenance schedule changes, and transform the data inputs so accessed to generate a customized visual presentation of data elements interactively on a graphical user interface (GUI) installed on a computing means such as a computer, tablet or smartphone, or machine readable outputs such as, but not limited to Comma Separated Value (.csv) files readable by third-party software packages. The database comprises tables and procedures that allow for compartmentalization of data from different categories of sources and the application of algorithms which result in machine learning and predictive analytics outputs useful to vehicle fleet operators as well as manufacturers, suppliers, regulators, and other industry participants for improving safety, performance and efficiency in the field.

A system as described herein comprises at least one application programming interface (API) in network communication with web browsers, third-party software packages, Internet-of-Things devices and mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets, such as over an Ethernet local area network (LAN) or the Internet, and at least one software module that allows users to initiate instructions for data processing, enter data into the connected database, create user profiles, generate custom reports and log vehicle mission information and maintenance information. It is an object of the present invention to provide a versatile, user friendly, secure system for managing multiple vehicle fleets within a single system and apply machine learning techniques to the user data inputs in combination with de-identified data inputs from other vehicle fleets, manufacturers and suppliers in order to improve the safety and performance of vehicles within each fleet utilizing the system and associated methods as described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of an exemplary vehicle fleet management system according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system architecture of a vehicle fleet management system according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention of the present disclosure is best described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which serve to provide non-limiting, illustrative examples of systems according to the present invention. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a system of the present disclosure 100 includes at least one software module 102 a-102 n (wherein n represents the total number of modules) tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and in communication with a database 101 and a computer processor (not shown). The at least one software module 102 a-102 n comprises instructions which when executed by the computer processor cause the processor to interact with the database 101 through validated inputs, and outputs that may contain validated input data alone or in combination with other validated input data, as well as outputs of predictive analytical algorithms useful for practical integration into fleet management plans. Inputs and outputs at the user level may be directed using a provided GUI 104 as will be familiar to one of ordinary skill in the art.

In certain embodiments, fleet management updates for specific vehicles and components are synthesized by a computer processor of the system 100 from validated data inputs flowing into the system from multiple sources and stored within the database 101 as a system output. For example, supplier information on a component may specify a useful life of 100 hours for a component, but a field data from an operator suggesting the useful life of that component has been observed to be 60 hours, and the system therefore generates a maintenance update that drives the useful life duration down.

Field data 103 represents one source of data, input by operators of vehicle fleets, and may include without limitation issue reporting data, fleet details (e.g., makes and models of vehicles), flight information and maintenance information. Field data 103 may be input and validated dynamically in real time. Meanwhile, third parties 130 such as manufacturers and suppliers may maintain communication with a system 100 as described herein such that a computer processor may transform validated inputs such as component information and alerts to events such as recalls, failures and the like into fleet management updates. Thus, fleet management updates may be a synthesis of data from such third parties 130 and field data 103 where operators may provide inputs relevant to vehicle units and their components, representing the integration of risk management, compliance and safety concepts into a practical application useful to industry participants.

It is an object of the invention of the present disclosure to allow operators to enter UAS flight log information into the system. In one aspect, the flight log information comprises: flight date and time information; flight duration information; flight latitude and longitude information; flight issue information; pilot identification; UAS identification information; mission information; project information; payload information; weather information; asset and asset class information; battery information; and miscellaneous remarks related to a flight. Files may also be attached with the flight log information. Once a flight log is created, it may serve as a template for like missions and its data imported into flight logs created in the future for acceptance or modification, thereby creating a time savings for the user.

A flight log entry area of a GUI of the present invention may also be in communication with external databases such as those maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), National Weather Service (NWS), and Department of Defense (DoD), including Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), and receive data inputs therefrom comprising regulatory updates. Flight log information thus becomes one type of field data 103 that may be processed according to the methods described herein to generate fleet management updates, or transformed to data outputs useful for the preparation of safety plans, compliance reports and certification submissions useful for regulators and fleet operators.

It is another object of the invention of the present disclosure to allow a user to enter maintenance information into the system. In one aspect, the maintenance information comprises: maintenance activity date and time information; component replacement information (including serial numbers when appropriate), UAS status after the maintenance activity; technician identification; UAS identification information; maintenance activity information; maintenance labor hours; and miscellaneous remarks related to the maintenance event. Files may also be attached with additional maintenance information. Over time, as maintenance activities are logged, an exemplary system as described herein combines flight and maintenance log information with external database information such as that included within databases maintained by manufacturers and suppliers, as well as de-identified data entered into the system by other users. A system as described herein, through machine learning for example, determines when future maintenance tasks should be executed and alerts a user when a task is due for completion and may display that information via GUI 104 or in various types of reports as fleet management updates. This feature of a system and associated methods described herein leads to improved safety and reliability of vehicles within a fleet being managed using a system as described herein.

Users of a system 100 according to the present invention, such as UAS fleet operators, may securely log into the system using a provided authentication protocol, then log information or view it or extract it for presentation. Where aggregate data is formed or calculated by combination of user data or user fleet data with other users or user fleets to generate and increase the accuracy of fleet management updates, methods to de-identify user and user fleets and vehicles are provided as an added feature, which may be of particular importance where secrecy is desired as might be the case with law enforcement or military operators. It is an object of the invention that this information be de-identified such that users see data supplied by other users but not identifying information as to the other user, which is not common within the state of the art.

In preferred embodiments, as suggested above, a software module of the present disclosure comprises instructions which when executed by a computer processor cause the processor to transform data useful to industry regulators such as safety data 120 a, compliance data 120 b or certification data 120 c into consolidated formats for regulatory submissions, for example. As the domestic and international regulations applicable to vehicle fleets evolve, these system outputs may be useful to regulators in creating a more robust framework for ensuring vehicle safety, compliance and certifications. One of ordinary skill in the area of vehicle fleet management, and in particular of UAS fleet management, will appreciate that no existing fleet management solution on the market provides this information currently.

In preferred embodiments, in addition to the outputs previously described, a system 100 of the present disclosure may also generate systems engineering outputs visible to fleet operators such as warnings, maintenance alerts and other reports useful in identifying problems with vehicles and their components that improve flight planning and safety. These outputs may then be integrated at the fleet level in a way that allows the predictive analytical tasks executed in response to system software module instructions to generate fleet management updates that enable operators and others to foresee problems and avoid them by making substitutions of vehicles and components within the fleet.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a system according to the present disclosure is useful in carrying out fleet management methods that are not enabled within the current state of the art. A software platform 200 including at least one software module is further equipped with at least one API 210 a-210 n (where n is the total number of APIs, and where 210a is a system website, equivalent to an API for usage purposes) for allowing a user operating a GUI 104 of the present invention to cause the execution of instructions included within a software module of the present disclosure by a processor as described herein, and also to integrate other software products with the system to allow for data inputs from external sources such as suppliers and manufacturers of fleet vehicles and components. A database 101 as described herein may be stored on in a remote location relative to the computer readable medium on which the at least one software module resides, making the system less vulnerable to attacks by malicious actors such as hackers and the like, or alternatively, may be collocated with the at least one software module of the present invention, or may be collocated with some but not other modules.

A database 101 as described herein may comprise data related to vehicle components; manufacturer recommendations and warnings; original equipment manufacturer (OEM) supplier quality information; reliability information from the field; regulatory information; and any other type of information useful for vehicle fleet management. The at least one software module (102 a-102 n) of the present invention may also include asset management functionality useful in making maintenance and compliance more efficient. For example, As mentioned previously, the database 101 preferably comprises inputs from external and internal sources, with the manufacturer and supplier inputs 130 being relatively static and sources such as field data 103 inputs being more dynamic and updated more frequently. It is an object of a system of the present invention to, for example through machine learning, synthesize custom information useful to fleet managers and pilots and the like in order to dramatically improve the reliability, safety and efficiency of vehicle fleet operations.

Continuing with FIG. 2, a software platform 200 of the present disclosure preferentially includes a firewall 220 or equivalent security means for preventing unauthorized access to the platform and separating external communications 202 (e.g., communications originating from users or devices over the Internet 240 from internal communications 201. The method steps of data input 211 and data output 212 are carried out on the platform to include validation steps, authentication, de-identification and predictive analytics that enable the type of data transformation that is an object of the present invention, namely synthesizing data from internal and external sources to create outputs that enable any number of fleet management actions to be taken in a more proactive way that currently available platforms enable in the industry. For example, data from the supplier may indicate recommended component replacement after 100 hours of use, whereas analysis in response to the instructions of the software module of combined usage data, UAS data, environmental conditions, length of flight and other data available in the database 101 may indicate a recommendation of replacement after 60 hours of use; i.e., a fleet management update.

The methods enabled in accordance with the present invention include generating alerts, cross-referencing, detecting causes and corresponding effects (i.e., identifying issues with certain components, deviations from manufacturer-recommended replacement intervals, isolation of component interactions), and proactive troubleshooting. For example, a system 100 of the present disclosure could identify an issue whereby each component of an assembly may meet manufacturer specifications individually but may experience premature failure when connected or operated together as an assembly or when used in certain conditions. It is an object of the invention to enable methods of predictive analytics that combine both human and machine inputs, such as from vehicle peripherals, sensors and other hardware, into a database 101 that includes tables and procedures allowing for compartmentalization, weighting and other machine learning techniques for generating fleet management updates that inform decisions and processes. By enabling methods of identifying the source of the data in addition to processing the data itself, the predictive analytical methods as described herein may be used to identify the sources of problems in the field and take corrective actions in response to fleet management updates generated by the system.

In addition to providing a means for visualizing information associated with vehicles, components and information relevant to the same within multiple vehicle fleets, the GUI 104 allows for authenticated login to maintain the security of the system. Once logged in, each user can enter information into the system, which is then stored in an appropriate database location within the system based on the field code associated with the entry. Additionally, that information may be de-identified when processed in order to generate fleet management updates that are anonymized with respect to which operators enter various field data 103, for example. It is an object of the invention to provide a mixed fleet aviation management software platform as does not currently exist within the state of the art, wherein, for example, UAS assets and associated components from multiple suppliers, including multiple models offered by each, each having different component configurations, may be managed using one central system. In aviation, this is not currently being done, even in the case of manned aerial systems.

It is yet another object of the invention of the present disclosure to access and process information stored in the database as described herein in order to generate reports that may include visual representations of various combinations and computations based on data stored within the database, which may comprise data from both internal and external data sources. The transformation of data entered by users and external, static data into useful outputs that are updated over time with machine learning is a unique aspect of a system and method as described herein. It is a further object of the invention to process regulatory data maintained externally in order to help users maintain regulatory compliance as flights and other activities are logged. It is yet another object of the invention of the present disclosure to allow regulators to access deidentified safety reports created using a system and method as described herein with the aim of improving safety regulations for the industry.

Reports produced using a system and method of the present disclosure may include reports on companies such as manufacturers or their component suppliers, UAS reports by fleet or by model, operational reports on fleets, project reports, mission reports by mission type, pilot reports, maintenance reports and advanced reports with filtering capability and custom graphical presentations. These features enable each user of a system as described herein and others to quickly assess the performance, readiness, and reliability of various fleets, vehicle models, pilots and so on. This capability is agnostic with respect to manufacturers and suppliers, as unlike many vehicle fleet management solutions, vehicles and components without serial numbers are tracked for performance.

The at least one software module of the present invention processes user-specific data from vehicle and fleet operators to improve safety and reliability of vehicles such as UAS across multiple fleets making use of the system. Information is input into the system 100 by users, administrators and through software interfaces and is stored in the database 101 in communication with the at least one software module. The transmission of user-specific data is encrypted to protect the identity of the entrant against visibility to other users. The information relates to vehicle models in user fleets as well as components thereof, including information on vehicle and component performance, failure rates and miscellaneous safety issues or idiosyncrasies identified by the operators. The processed data is thus transformed into an actionable database in an easy-to-interpret format that provides operators with the latest information on industry demand for components, replacement lead times and safety issues associated with delayed maintenance or components exhibiting unexpected failure rates.

The illustrative embodiments of the accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only embodiments of the invention contemplated by the applicant. The advantages described herein and other advantages of the invention of the present disclosure will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, and represent a useful platform for improving vehicle fleet management, and particularly of UAS fleets. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for centralized management of vehicle fleets, the system comprising: at least one software module tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and in network communication with a database, at least one application programming interface and at least one firewall, wherein the at least one software module comprises instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to: validate field data inputs, third-party data inputs and regulatory data inputs and direct the data inputs to specific data tables within the database according to source; synthesize fleet management updates from the data inputs and store the fleet management updates in the database; synthesize safety data outputs, compliance data outputs and certification data outputs based on the fleet management updates and data inputs; and produce data outputs comprising the fleet management updates, safety data outputs, compliance data outputs, certification data outputs, vehicle operator warnings, maintenance alerts or combinations thereof, wherein the data outputs are visible on a user interface in network communication with the system via an application programming interface.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle fleets are unmanned aerial system (UAS) fleets.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein the field data inputs comprise issue reports, fleet details, flight information and maintenance information from fleet operator sources and the third-party data inputs comprise UAS component information and alerts from UAS manufacturer sources and component supplier sources.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data outputs are reduced to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form, machine readable form and combinations thereof.
 5. The system of claim 2, wherein the data outputs are reduced to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form, machine readable form and combinations thereof.
 6. The system of claim 3, wherein the data outputs are reduced to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form, machine readable form and combinations thereof.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface (GUI).
 8. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is a GUI.
 9. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface is a GUI.
 10. The system of claim 3, wherein the sources of at least a portion of the data inputs are de-identified.
 11. A method for centralized management of vehicle fleets, the method comprising the steps of causing a computer processor to: validate field data inputs, third-party data inputs and regulatory data inputs and direct the data inputs to specific data tables within the database according to source; synthesize fleet management updates from the data inputs and store the fleet management updates in the database; synthesize safety data outputs, compliance data outputs and certification data outputs based on the fleet management updates and data inputs; and produce data outputs comprising the fleet management updates, safety data outputs, compliance data outputs, certification data outputs, vehicle operator warnings, maintenance alerts or combinations thereof, wherein the data outputs are visible on a user interface in network communication with the system via an application programming interface.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle fleets are unmanned aerial system (UAS) fleets.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the field data inputs comprise issue reports, fleet details, flight information and maintenance information from fleet operator sources and the third-party data inputs comprise UAS component information and alerts from UAS manufacturer sources and component supplier sources.
 14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of reducing the data outputs to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form and machine readable form.
 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of reducing the data outputs to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form and machine readable form.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of reducing the data outputs to a form selected from the group consisting of tangible form and machine readable form.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein the user interface is a GUI.
 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface is a GUI.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the user interface is a GUI.
 20. The method of claim 13, wherein sources of at least a portion of the data inputs are de-identified. 